Reefer is a same often applied to a mobile refrigeration unit, particularly refrigeration units for trucks, trailers, containers and rail cars, as well as non-fixed assets such as clip-on gensets which go on sea-going containers when they travel on land. Reefers of different sizes are manufactured and they usually combine a diesel engine, separate from the truck engine providing mobility, attached to an insulated box for storing refrigerated goods. The reefer's diesel engine powers an air conditioning (A/C) unit that uses forced air to cool (or heat) the box. Refrigeration controls affixed to the refrigeration unit or in the truck are used to control and monitor various aspects of the A/C unit and box. Often the reefer's diesel engine powers the A/C unit for many hours and some reefers can be powered from an ac or dc power source when parked overnight with a load in the box. Future refrigeration units may use natural gasses or even fuel cells. Fuel economy and monitoring have become more important especially as fuel prices fluctuate on the high side. Fuel taxes are commonly assessed by taxing authorities worldwide against earners for the fuel consumed. For instance, in the United States, a state assesses taxes an fuel consumed within that state. Reporting of fuel taxes based on vehicle consumption of fuel is generally done by the driver of a commercial vehicle. However, fuel used in connection with operating a vehicle may entail consumption by systems on the vehicle other than those relating strictly to transportation, e.g., the reefer.
Today, transportation and logistics companies are required to monitor miles driven per state to pay accurate fuel taxes. Currently, this process is accomplished manually or via the use of fuel tax reporting software and an on-board GPS/computer. Due to many practical complications in applying this system to refrigerated systems for the transport industry (most of which also use diesel fuel), it is not required to report fuel tax for reefers.
Given that fuel fax is reported for a tractor trailer in connection with its crossing jurisdictional lines (e.g., state lines), a need exists to differentiate fuel consumed by the tractor from fuel consumed by the refrigeration unit on the trailer. Currently, there is no accurate way to draw a distinction between the amount of fuel consumed by transporting the reefer vs. the amount consumed by the reefer to keep the cargo at temperature. Although most reefers have a separate fuel tank for use of the reefer alone that can provide a basis to assess fuel consumption tax against the reefer, this data is not generally transmitted to taxing authorities. Further, although state border crossings of tractor trailer vehicles are often monitored, it is often difficult to track a particular reefer trailer pulled by a specific tractor as it is common for multiple tractors to aid in getting a single trailer, for example, to its final destination.
Therefore, there is a need to provide monitoring of reefer fuel consumption through the use of a fuel measurement apparatus and or in combination with an algorithm that monitors the mode of operation and time in that mode. A need also exists to employ a wireless communication system with host software to automatically report the pro rata portion of fuel taxes for a reefer especially as distinguished from other systems on a tractor trailer or from fuel consumed by the engine used to power the tractor trailer for transportation. Further, a need exists to distinguish reefer fuel consumption from tractor trailer consumption for purposes of providing detailed customer invoicing. Until now, no such system has offered such reefer fuel consumption and fuel tax reporting with the efficacy of the system to be described herein.
Applicable reference numerals have been carried forward.